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3x3x3 Rubik's Cube
The 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube was the first one of these puzzles to be invented and its invention was the catalyst of the invention of all other special Rubik's Cube, larger Rubik's Cubes, and Rubik's Cube shape modifications. The 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube consists of 26 pieces: 6 centers, 8 corners, and 12 edges. There is no piece in the middle of the 3x3x3x Rubik's Cube because the middle is where the core turning mechanism is contained. There are six faces with the following colors on them: white, yellow, green, blue, red and orange (note that some 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube not manufactured by the Rubiks company may have different colors on them). All Rubik's Cube have those same colors on their six faces. It was invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik in 1974. Ernő Rubik was the first person to solve a Rubik's Cube and did so while it was still in its prototype stage. It took him 3 months to solve it for the first time. There are quite a few indirect advantages of solving a Rubik's Cube that can help your brain become sharper. Solving a Rubik's Cube can better your eye-hand coordination, improve your concentration in general, and ensure that you are able to process your thoughts faster. Notation Here is the Rubik's Cube notation that is used in sequences called algorithms to solve it. A letter means a turn 90 degrees clockwise. An apostrophe or "i" after a letter means invert. This means the move is to be performed in the opposite direction or 90 degrees counterclockwise. A "2" beside a letter means to perform the move two times, rotating 180 degrees. There are two Rubik's Cube notations: one is the basic notation and one is the advanced notation. A Rubik's Cube has six faces and each one is represented with a letter: R, L, U, D, F, or B. When you see these letters in algorithms, it means to rotate that face 90 degrees clockwise. Basic Notation Advanced Notation This is the advanced Rubik's Cube notation. It is used for solving Rubik's Cubes faster and for simplifying algorithms. In basic notation, the letters are always capitalized because a lowercase letter indicates turning two layers at once, which is used in advanced notation. Double layers turns are sometimes marked with a "2" in front of the letter to indicate grabbing two layers or with a "w" behind the letter. In advanced notation, there are also middle layer turns or slice turns. Middle layer rotations or slice turns are not simply the rotations of two opposite layers because these moves reposition the centre cubelets too. Whole cube reorientations are occasionally seen in advanced notation. Although whole cube reorientations are never necessary for solving a Rubik's Cube, they are sometimes used in algorithms. Piece Notation Piece notation is used to represent pieces on a Rubik's Cube. This makes it much easier to talk about pieces on a Rubik's Cube. Each piece can be represented with a letter or group of letters. The center piece of each face is represented with the letter name of the face. For example, the center piece of the F face would be represented with the letter "F". Edge pieces are represented by the letter of the two faces it is attached to. For example, the edge between the U face and the F face would be represented with "FU". A corner piece is represented by the three faces it belongs to. For example the corner attached to the F face, R face, and U face would be represented with "FRU". Solution To solve a Rubik's Cube several algorithms need to be memorized. Fortunately, after memorizing the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube algorithms, there are much less algorithms that need to be remembered for solving larger cubes. There is a basic/beginner's solving method and an advanced solving method (CFOP). It is recommended that you learn the beginner's solution method before moving on to CFOP. Click here for an online Rubik's Cube Solver. Basic/Beginner's Solution This is a layer-by-layer solving method. White Cross The first step is to make the white cross (making a cross with any color works, but solving the white cross first is more common). Remember that the center pieces on a 3x3x3x Rubik's Cube never change position so they indicate the color of the face. Hold your cube with the face with the white center/Rubik's logo facing up. When moving an edge piece up, remember to consider the color of the two faces that you are moving it to. If you are moving it to the spot between the white face and the red face make sure that the edge has both white and red on it. CFOP Category:Rubik's Cubes